It sounds like a clever decision-by-committee way of including everyone from the Arab Spring protesters to the tea parties to, of course, Occupy Wall Street.

My hunch is that . . . snork, snuff . . . zzzzz.

Sorry, I find the whole topic too boring to discuss further. Maybe after I have some coffee.

Update: First e-mail response to this:

Aren’t we the condescending deep thinkers, far too lofty to waste time on the efforts of our journalistic inferiors. We must be so very impressed with ourselves. Are you this much of an a-hole in person ?

Well, if this post is the mark of an “a-hole” then, yeah, I guess I am this much of an a-hole in person. The Time person of the year thing has become so trite and hackneyed, such a pseudo-event, I’m reluctant to be baited into debating the decision as if it is of grave national importance or pretending that I care about it very much. “The Protester” strikes me as a punt, a way of giving it to Occupy Wall Street without giving it to Occupy Wall Street. What more is there to say?